The Skeffington Coffee Estate:
The Skeffington Coffee Estate is a vast coffee plantation. It is not in Kanthapura but is situated on the hills all around Kanthapura. Just as Kanthapura is representative of scores of British - owned estates in India , whether they are coffee plantations , tea plantations , or some other plantation . Raja Rao included its depiction in the novel because he wanted to include an instance of large scale economic exploitation of Indians by Britishers and the depiction of the coffee estate enabled him to do that.
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| Novel Kanthapura—Exploitation of the Coolies on the Skeffington Coffee Estate |
Its Foundation and Size:
No one remembers when this estate was founded. It was certainly more than ten years old when the events described in the novel happened. It was founded by an English man who was known as ‘Hunter Sahib’ because he always had a whip in his hand with which he mercilessly beat coolies who were not working hard. He was now dead and the present owner was his nephew. No one knows how big the estate is but it is certainly bigger than ten thousand acres.
The Coolies:
The coolies who worked on the Estate were recruited the plains below the Ghats stretching upto the river Godavary. A foreman was sent from time to time to recruit coolies according to need. They were enticed to leave their hearth and home by false promises. They were given one rupee each as advance, and were promised a four - anna bit for a man and a two - anna bit for a woman as daily wages. They were also told that they would get plenty of white rice, and that they would merely be required to pick coffee leaves. They would not be put to any hard labour. The foreman would speak to them kindly. He would smile on them. The simple, poverty - stricken people were taken in by these promises, and came in large numbers with their belongings to work on the Estate.
The Coolies’ March to the Estate:
Their march to Skeffington Coffee Estate has been described by Raja Rao in his usual graphic and picturesque style. Armies of coolies marched past the Kenchamma Temple, half – naked, starving, pitting, weeping, vomiting, coughing, shivering, squeaking, shouting, moaning coolies - coolies after coolies passed by the Kenchamma Temple, the foreman before them, while the children clung to their mothers, breasts, the old men to their sons’ arms , and bundles hung over shoulder and arm and shoulder and head.
Coolies’ Exploitation and their Miserable Life:
The attitude of the foreman changed completely when they reached the estate. He became a tyrant. They were marched before the Sahib. They were highly impressed by him and they assured him in a very humble manner that they would work hard. They said, “You are a dispenser of good, O Maharaja, we are the lickers of your feet.” One woman asked if they would really get four annas per man and two annas per woman per day. The foreman told them that they would be whipped if they talked of wages. The Sahib told them that if they worked hard they would get sweets, if they did not work hard they would get whips. When the man stretched their hands for the sweets, the foreman beat them on their backs. The coolies were taken to their huts. These were broken huts and they had to repair them. Next morning the work started. It was hard work. The men had to dig the hard ground and cut trees. They had to work from early morning to late at night. If they relaxed even for a minute they were mercilessly whipped by the foreman. After their hard work, they were given a most frugal diet.
Sexually Exploitation of the Women and Girls:
The workers were also exploited sexually. The White Sahib would have this or that woman who tickled his fancy. If a woman refused him, the husband's or father's wages were cut or he was given whipping. Once when a Brahmin workman refused to send his daughter, the Sahib flew into such a rage that he shot the Brahmin's father dead with pistol. Of course, the Sahib promised to pay about two thousand rupees as damages to the dead man's widow and children. But eventually he paid nothing because the Red - man's court forgave him.
Coolies' Facing Dangers and Diseases and their Working in Heavy Rain:
The workers were also exposed to dangers and diseases of various kinds. The Estate was infested with snakes, and many died of snake - bites while at work. Besides this, there were heavy rains and the workers would have to work in rains drenched to their very skin. With the rains, there would come Malaria and take a heavy toll of life. Men, women and children would die in large numbers. They also suffered from cough, vomiting and dysentery.
Enlightenment in the Estate:
The Gandhi movement in Kanthapura brought some enlightenment to the estate also. Some Brahmin clerks had come to the estate and they started taking the coolies for bhajans to the temple at Kanthapura. The Brahmins refused to send their women to the Sahib. One day the Sahib came to Seetharam's house and said, “I want your daughter Mira.” Seetharam said, “I am a Brahmin. I would rather die than sell my daughter.” At this the Sahib took out his revolver and shot Seetharam dead.
Moorthy's Being Invited to the Estate:
One day Moorthy was invited to the estate. Bade Khan stopped him at the gate and handled him rather roughly. The Pariah woman fell upon Bade Khan and would have probably killed him but Moorthy said, “No violence, in the name of Mahatma.” Then Bade Khan and the foreman gave a thorough beating to the coolies. Moorthy was escorted back to Kanthapura. Next morning Rachanna was dismissed from service and thrown out of the Estate. His dues were not paid to him. He went to Kanthapura and was accommodated in the Pariah quarter. Later, he becomes a member of the Congress Committee of Kanthapura.
The Picketing Toddy Booth Campaign:
A very important confrontation between Gandhians and the authorities took place in the Coffee Estate. That was picketing of the toddy booth situated there. The police rained lathi blows on the women and children. Moorthy asked them to lie down. The women said, “Brothers, do not drink.” There were shouts of Mahatma Gandhi Ki Jai and Vande Mataram.
Part Played by the Estate in the Novel:
The Skeffington Coffee Estate does not play a direct part in the novel, but it holds a highly important place in the events. The freedom movement in the village of Kanthapura was closely related with the Skeffington Coffee Estate. Its reason was that the coolies and other labourers of the Estate were highly enthusiastic and devoted for achieving the freedom of their motherland. It was only because of their patriotism that they suffered the cruelties from the rulers of the British Empire as well as from the owners of the Coffee Estate.
Raja Rao's Presenting a Clear Picture of Coolies Miserable Condition:
Raja Rao has included detailed descriptions of life in the estate because he wanted to show how the Britishers were exploiting the poor Indian labourers economically and ill - treating them. He also wanted to show the effect of the Gandhian movement on the poor, ignorant and helpless coolies of the Estate.
Skeffington Coffee Estate Representing the Other Tea and Coffee Plantation in India:
Moreover, this plantation is representative of all other and coffee plantations in India. In the other plantations also the conditions of the labourers must have been equally bad if not worse. Thus Kanthapura is a novel depicting the impact of the Gandhian movement for freedom on the people of a remote South Indian village. It also shows the impact of this movement on the down - trodden coolies of the estate.